Anonymous wrote:I don't think you should've asked to be paid extra on top of getting $150 for doing no work last time. I get that it was a last minute cancellation but it was just watching dogs, it wasn't childcare. I wouldn't have expected to be paid for that and if I had gotten paid I wouldn't have asked to be paid extra next time I dog sat.

Wait, so if your employer asks you to do random things during your off time, you agree but don't expect to be paid?! Wow, your boss must love you, but most nannies have enough sense to expect to be paid anytime they work, no matter what the situation is.

OP, you were at the house to work, you stayed overnight so that you still there in the morning ready to work, and only went home when MB cancelled the plans due to the sick child. Yes, plans change. But you scheduled that weekend for her use, and you were paid the agreed amount. That's yours, not something that needs to be given back.

As for no food for the weekend: yes, pay for anything you need, and text MB that you will have all the receipts for her Sunday night, so that she can write a check when she gets back and you can deposit on the way home.

From now on, make sure that MB knows and agrees to the rate, even if it means that you needs to write it down. And if you schedule time, she pays for it, whether plans are cancelled or not.

Up to you as to whether it's half-rate if plans are cancelled, but I only do that if it's more than 6 hours before start time, so in your situation, it would definitely have been full rate, imo.

you we're there and THEY cancelled, you get paid for this time. You also get paid for the extra dog and reimbursed for food. Truth fully. You need your head examined for working for this cheap dingbat.

I would ask her for a prepaid card to buy future needs. You should not be using your income to pick up family food. I would send an email with your hours weekly or every two weeks.

Anonymous wrote:I think the weekend that they cancelled on you should be paid for at least half and no it should not be used for food etc. you need to respond that the money from that weekend was earned because you scheduled your time around it and that if she would like for you to front them grocery/food money for this weekend then REIMBURSE you when they return you are fine with that and add a smiley face.

OP here.
I like this idea. Dividing the money in half seems fair for both sides.
I think I'm going to suggest that to her.
Thank you!!

Anonymous wrote:I would wait to address the implication that you somehow owe the payment from previous week back until you can do so in person. Just ignore that for now.

I'd reply back that you're happy to pick up some groceries for the weekend and will put the receipt in an envelope for reimbursement next week.

OP here.
That sounds good, but she calls multiple times a day, so if I don't respond, she will ask me over the phone.
In her text, she actually asked me to go to the store and get rotisserie chicken and other things and said that since she canceled that trip a month ago and she paid me for that, if I can use that money.
I feel a little embarrassed.
I should have remembered that.

Anonymous wrote:I don't think you should've asked to be paid extra on top of getting $150 for doing no work last time. I get that it was a last minute cancellation but it was just watching dogs, it wasn't childcare. I wouldn't have expected to be paid for that and if I had gotten paid I wouldn't have asked to be paid extra next time I dog sat.

I agree, as I said, I forgot I was paid for that until now when my MB texted me from vacation. She's already gone, I got paid this morning.
And to clarify, last time (a month ago) I was paid $150 for 2 dogs.
Now I have the third dog (my MB's boyfriend's dog), that's why I asked $75 extra for the weekend, which comes down to $25 a day for the extra dog.

I wish she mentioned that this morning, I would have asked her to only give me $75 for an extra dog.

But on the other hand, I also agree with the first response (13:23).
Asking for half seems fair to both sides.
After all, I was stuck at work on Friday, with another guest (MB's sister) and no water/using the toilet (we all had to go to neighbors' house!!)

Anonymous wrote:I'm confused I thought you weren't paid for the first weekend. Are you sure you were paid for that weekend ?

OP here.
Yes, I know I was paid. My hours are different every week. I'm typically paid for before and after school hours, so I work a split shift.
Almost every week something happens that I work extra hours (which I don't mind, because I'm trying to pay off my credit cards) when there is no school, one of the kids is sick, my boss has a meeting after work, etc. My MB never tracks the hours and I'm paid every other week so sometimes it's a challenge to remember all the hours. I'm keeping track of anything extra during the week and then we add things like weekend overnights, etc.
So that Friday a month ago I got paid for dog sitting as well, then left after the kids went to school and went to get my wisdom teeth out. I was on pain meds for 3 days and I just simply forgot.

I don't think you should've asked to be paid extra on top of getting $150 for doing no work last time. I get that it was a last minute cancellation but it was just watching dogs, it wasn't childcare. I wouldn't have expected to be paid for that and if I had gotten paid I wouldn't have asked to be paid extra next time I dog sat.

I'm confused I thought you weren't paid for the first weekend. Are you sure you were paid for that weekend ?

I would wait to address the implication that you somehow owe the payment from previous week back until you can do so in person. Just ignore that for now.

I'd reply back that you're happy to pick up some groceries for the weekend and will put the receipt in an envelope for reimbursement next week.

I think the weekend that they cancelled on you should be paid for at least half and no it should not be used for food etc. you need to respond that the money from that weekend was earned because you scheduled your time around it and that if she would like for you to front them grocery/food money for this weekend then REIMBURSE you when they return you are fine with that and add a smiley face.

I work for a wonderful family.
I've been with them for 2 years.

About a month ago my MB was planning to take the kids and visit her sister in another state for the weekend.
I was supposed to dog-sit and I got paid $150 in addition to my regular check. I was supposed to be there Friday - Sunday.
On Friday morning I had my wisdom teeth taken out and then I basically drove straight to work so I could relax and not having to drive on strong meds I was about to take.
MB's other sister also came from a different state and they were all going to go together after the kids came back from school.
Long story short, my MB was running late, they ordered dinner, it started raining really hard and they decided to go on Saturday morning instead.
To make it worse, their pump for the septic broke and they needed to replace it ASAP, so nobody could use water.
I stayed overnight because I was already on pain meds.
Saturday morning one of the kids got sick and my MB's sister (the one they were going to visit) decided they should postpone, because she just had a baby a few months ago and didn't want a sick child around.
So I drove home on Saturday morning, forgot the pay and none of us brought it up.

Fast forward to this weekend.
My MB is surprising her bf with a trip to Florida for his birthday and I'm dog-sitting starting today (Friday) until Monday. MB's boyfriend has a dog, so I'm taking care of 3 dogs total. Her bf's dog and one of my MB's dogs don't get along sometimes and bark all the time, so I said I wanted to be paid extra for that dog. I think she took it as a joke when I told her a few days ago, because when she was paying me today, she was taken aback when I told her (I only asked her for an extra $75).
It was so chaotic this morning, she forgot to leave me money to get food. The fridge is empty and I have the kids that I have to figure out dinner for - for tonight and Sunday night.

So I texted her and said I was going to the store to get some things since we both forgot about the cash and she responded asking if we could use the dog-sitting money that she paid me a month ago when they were supposed to go out of state but canceled.

I haven't said anything back to her, because honestly I don't know what to say.
I want to be fair and obviously I don't want to keep the money for the hours I didn't work, but at the same time I feel like they already "booked me" for that weekend and I was there ready to stay the entire weekend, even in pain. So it was a last minute cancellation on her part, not mine.

I think I'm going to use that money for groceries and keep extra cash for when we need it, so she gets her money back this time.

But what should I do in the future?
What is a good way to go about last minute cancellations like that? What's fair for both sides?

I guess I need some ideas so I can talk to my MB about it. We definitely need a plan for the future so there are no hard feelings.
I honestly feel bad that she never mentioned it. My wisdom teeth healing process lasted more than 2 weeks and I honestly forgot she paid me for it.
And since she brought it up now, it must have been on her mind. I wish she had told me before. And I can't help but think she brought it up because I asked to be paid extra for her bf's dog.